


The Last Bastyri

by RavenWhitecastle



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Assisted Suicide, F/M, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 16:37:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14140101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenWhitecastle/pseuds/RavenWhitecastle
Summary: The Doctor once again attempts to stop the end of the world at the hands of a monster called Bastyri, but there's more to the story than he realizes. To stop the world from burning, he may have to do the unthinkable.Warning: Suicide mention, assisted suicide of original alien character. Pretty heavy stuff.





	The Last Bastyri

The creature hissed and spat, writhing furiously. It was huge, having in its time consumed whole planets bit by bit. Now, however, after what had likely been centuries of starvation, it had started to wither, losing its signature glowing green and turning ashy.  


"Oh, stop fussing," the Doctor scowled, "I Know what you are." The creature blinked. "That's right, _Bastyri_." It hissed. "I know you. I know your name, I know your home, I know your purpose. Consumer of worlds. Planet destroyer. C'mon, show me those fangs."  


The beast opened its mouth wide and gave its most ferocious roar, causing the Doctor's unruly brown hair to ruffle and flutter. He squinted, scrutinizing the sharply pointed rows of teeth. "Oh, that is _beautiful!_ Look at that! Who's your dentist?" he quipped.  


The snakeish alien snapped its maw shut and huffed. "All right, all right, sorry," he murmured, "So, _before_ you, you know, destroy the Earth in an apocalyptic bonfire, tell me something. I understand the whole 'rebirth,' destroy-everything-and-start-over thing, I've seen it all before." At this, the Bastyri let out a low, guttural growl from its throat that caused the ground to tremble. A few rocks tumbled from the cavern's ceiling, some bouncing down the Bastyri's long neck. "You're an intelligent being," the Doctor continued, "You've got an intelligent mind. So tell me, how're you gonna get out?" The beast growled again, weaving back and forth in front of him, its wide black eyes never leaving his face. "I don't like being toyed with," the Doctor whispered, his voice low and dangerous, "So I'm going to ask again, how are you going to get out?" There was no response. His face contorted. "SPEAK TO ME!"  


A low rumble emerged from the Bastyri, and then a voice. It was deep and thunderous. It was the voice of one of the most powerful creatures in the universe. It said, simply, "I will not escape."  


"Okay, no escape pod. Then, what, you've got some kind of shelter? Is this cave fireproof? What?"  


"I will not escape."  


"So, that's it? You burn with the rest of the human race so that, I dunno, your borthers and sisters can start again? Is that the plan?"  


"I will not escape."  


The Doctor sighed in frustration. The TARDIS was having trouble translating. It should have come as no surprise- while language had evolved, the ancient races like the Bastyri had been left behind, alone and drifting through the void of space. What passed for language among their kind would have been simple and borderline archaic."Yes, you will not escape, you've said that bit," he snapped, "That's what I call sacrifice. All this for your own race?"  


There was a long pause. "No. I will pass for naught."  


"What?"  


The beast repeated, "I will pass for naught."  


"Why? I demand you tell me!"  


There was another pause. The Bastyri blinked, rearing its head towards the ceiling and towards the stars. "They have perished."  


"Who's perished? Tell me!"  


"They have perished," the Bastyri echoed.  


A look of understanding dawned on the Doctor's face. "Oh. 'They have perished.' The Bastyri." He ran a lanky hand through his hair. "They died. And now you're the only one left." His gaze turned to the beast. "How did it happen?" he asked quietly.  


"The seventh sun of Vasprel flared," the alien replied, "The planet burned. Only I survived."  


"So if you're not starting over, then what? Is this some sort of vengeance for your people?"  


"I am alone."  


"Okay, I'll take that as a no. So what, some kind of funeral ceremony? Is that what you do on Vasprel? You sacrifice another in the way of the deceased? I've seen it before, it gets a bit gruesome and-"  


The Bastyri cut him off. "I am alone."  


The Doctor gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, I know." He ruffled his hair again, the way he did when he was trying to think. "All right, since I can't figure it out on my own, just tell me." He paused. "Tell me!"  


There was a heavy sigh. The Bastyri seemed to shrink, lowering its head. "Everything burned. Only I survived. Do you know how that feels, _Timelord_?"  


The Doctor winced. Yes, he _did_ know. He knew too well how it felt. To be the last of his kind. And the Bastyri knew that, too. It had called him by name, it knew what he was.  


"Only I survived. I escaped to Earth. It was not enough. I am all that is left. It is too much." It turned its head so that its enormous obsidian eye stared down at him. The Doctor looked away, at the walls of the cavern, at the floor, at the TARDIS, trying not to think of his beloved Gallifrey. "Do you never want the pain to end?"  


Breathlessly he whispered, "Yes." Then, with more strength, "Yes."  


"Then why not? Burn with me."  


The Doctor's expression hardened. His hands clenched into fists. "I can't do that."  


"But I can. I have a choice. I choose death."  


"You mean suicide." The Doctor was at a loss. This creature was from a mighty race that had vanquished hundreds of planets, survived for centuries, and advanced beyond imagination. And now it wanted to die.  


The Bastyri sighed. "I am alone. I choose death." This time, the words were laden with pain and sorrow.  


The Doctor closed his eyes. "And this is the only way." His shoulders fell, and he hung his head. He knew far too well the creature's pain. And he knew what it felt like to want it to end. But he had a purpose. To keep mankind safe. He couldn't let the creature destroy all that was left of humanity just so he wouldn't have to live alone. "Okay, listen to me. You don't have to do this."  


"But I am alone."  


"Yes, and I'm _sorry_ , I really am, but I can't allow you to burn up the Earth. Now _listen to me_." The beast stopped moving and stared. "Don't do this. There's another way."  


There was a long pause as the Bastyri comprehended this. "You can kill me?"  


The Doctor clenched his teeth. "I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this, but yes. I will do this, if you don't burn the Earth."  


There was a growl. "Then end it."  


The Doctor sighed. What choice did he have? After all he'd seen and done, all the galaxies and planets and people he'd saved, after all the enemies he'd vanquished, it had come to this.  


Reluctantly, he went to the TARDIS, opened the door, and stepped inside. He closed the doors shut behind him and let his head fall against the cool wood.  


Rose watched him in disbelief. "Doctor, you can't."  


"I have to," he murmured. He trudged to the console, punched a code into the keypad, flicked a switch.  


"You're not going to do it, are you?"  


"Rose, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't."  


"So don't!"  


"You don't understand..."  


"Doctor, you can't do this! You'd be killing the last Bastyri of Vasprel in existence, there'll be none left!"  


"ROSE!" he snapped, "For god's sake, if I didn't have to, I wouldn't, but I don't have a choice. I either kill the last Bastyri of Vasprel or I let it destroy the human race. _That's_ the choice I have to make." He leaned forward, his strong, muscular back arched up, his chiselled shoulder blades causing the fabric of his pinstripe suit to crease.  


Rose sighed heavily and reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move. "I'm sorry," she whispered.  


The Doctor exhaled the breath he'd been holding and placed his hand on top of hers. "So am I."  


With new resolve, he stood and pushed a large button on the console. An automated alarm counted down the seconds until the activation of the shield. Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand and closed her eyes tight. He stood, tall and strong, as he always had, without emotion, without expression, just the set furrow of his brow and the burning in his eyes.  


The timer clicked off, and the TARDIS rumbled. It shook and shuddered, causing the cables above them to writhe and dust to crumble from the walls. Rose sobbed. There was a thunderous crash outside the doors.  


Rose whispered, between tears, "What have you done?"  


The Doctor growled. "What I had to do." He brushed Rose off like she wasn't even there. She slid to the floor and began to cry. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and stepped outside.  


The Bastyri lay there helplessly as it died. The Doctor had set the TARDIS shield to expel a wave of radiation. It would be enough to kill the alien quickly, but it would leave no traces behind. The Bastyri would disintegrate, the radioactivity would cease, and the race of the Bastyri would be extinct.  
The Bastyri let out a ragged breath, causing dust to swirl and scatter. A dust cloud gathered and settled at the Doctor's feet as he knelt next to the beast. It rolled to look at him directly.  


"You... did not want... this," it wheezed.  


The Doctor shook his head. "No, I didn't." He gently laid a hand on the Bastyri's head. "But I didn't have a choice. Because you're right," he said, " I know what it's like. And no other living creature should have to go through that."  


"You let me... go because... you... can't."  


"Yes. And now you can join your family."  


There was a low hiss. "Thank... you." It blinked slowly. "And remember... they have perished... but you... are not... alone."  


The Bastyri gave one last breath and died. The body slowly fell to dust beneath the Doctor's hand. He clenched it into a fist and closed his eyes. He didn't cry; he said nothing. He only sighed and stood up. He allowed a moment of silence before returning to the TARDIS.  


Rose had crawled from the floor to the bench where she had been watching on the TARDIS display screen. Her face was streaked with tears. Her eyes were red, he cheeks were flushed. No doubt she had heard the last words of the Bastyri. And she of all people knew what they meant.  


Silently, the Doctor strode over to the bench and sat down next o her. He put an arm around her shoulders and held her close. She leaned into him. Her head fit under his, and her blonde hair tickled his chin. She took a shaky breath, and her eyes flutter shut. The Doctor rubbed her shoulder. This was who he was. But he was glad that Rose was there with him, through it all. The choices he had to make, the consequences he suffered. Through it all, she stayed with him. The Lonely God.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a super old throw away drabble from my high school days of writing shitty fanfiction instead of paying attention in class. But I'm actually kind of pleased with how this turned out and didn't want to just recycle it with the rest of my cringey childhood.  
> There are similar notes to The Beast Below and it's Starwhale, which I had not yet seen. I'm not even sure it had been released yet. Remember, high school fanfiction writer. Be gentle.


End file.
